Monday, September 26, 2005

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama.Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time...But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you.You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

STOMP is an exuberant display of physical prowess, music, dance energy and wit. It is a performance guaranteed to set the pulse racing with a jiving cacophony of amazing percussion on the move, using everyday household objects in non-traditional ways; garbage bins, brooms, drums and matches create extraordinary music and dance. With its high energy, fast moving and very physical dynamic mix of bodies, objects and sounds, abstract ideas are performed with humour and theatrical flair.

Do I sound like I'm advertising? In a way yes; Word of mouth advertisement. Thanks to MixFM for the complimentary ticket, I was able to witness (foc) an explosive extravaganza of dance, theatre and percussion combined into one rhythmic and comical performance. How did I get this ticket? Take one Saturday afternoon, a dash of 'xiou'ness (crazy), layer with a thick hide and stir fry a zany STOMP number with a young lady who called out to me "Uncle, uncle. Can I be your partner ah?". Serve to the MixFM Road Runners (who were giving out the free tickets) and there we have it. Our "noise" sounded better than the other participants so we stomped over 3 other pairings to win. I can't even recall what we belted out with 2 alloy 'kuali' covers, a tin cup and a pair of chopsticks.

If you haven't seen STOMP, make the effort to go. It was well worth my zany antics... for anyone else, the money.

What an eye-full! A human eye has one lens; a dragonfly's eye has up to 30,000 facets, or surfaces. The facets wrap around its head so the speedy insect can see where it has been as well as where it's going. I wonder which is more amazing; That the dragonfly has 30,000 facets/surfaces or that someone had so much time and resource to count them!

An "Icalldis Metalgreen-back" spider. It was very camera shy, perhaps in actual fact more terrified of the monstrosity that loomed over it. It left a trail of web and it jumped and scrambled from hand to camera and finger before the shutter clicked a satisfactory shot and left the creature at peace.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

THUD! I looked up and I saw a magnificent eagle outside my window no more than 2 meters from where I was sitting (in my office at the 40th floor). Now, it can't be that an eagle, what would be considered a king of the sky and with highly maneuverable skills, had "accidentaly" rammed into the building. Besides, it had hit the building claws first. A theory formed in my head that it was attacking its own reflection on the building window panes. More glimpses as it glided by, sometimes headed directly for the building followed by distant but distinctive thuds! Either it was practicing attack runs or it feels threatened by its own reflection.

Darn! No fancy camera in hand but managed to catch some meagre shots on my phone camera. Awesome bird of prey!

These pictures were taken with a Fuji 35mm disposable (yes, you read that right) underwater camera. The depth rating stated on the camera was 5 meters/15 feet and the picture you see below was captured at a depth of 30 meters/100 feet. The year was 2001 and I was going diving at Layang-Layang, one of the atolls in the Spratley Islands. Good cameras then like the Sea&Sea or Nikonos were way out my budget and the digital revolution was just around the corner, meaning I have no idea what digital cameras can do then. Along in my baggage was my trusty Canon EOS-50 SLR (35mm film format) and the Fuji 35mm disposable. Not only did the Fuji survive the plunge to 30 meters, it managed to take one shot at that depth. Why only one? The water pressure had warped the casing and the film-advance winding gear mechanism were no longer in contact so I could not advance the film for the next frame. However, no leaks and walla & behold, some of the shots below.

The view up from a depth of 30 meters. Sorry about the composition. The viewfinder was kinda tiny.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Fancy a visit to a cave? Not the "Sum Po Tong" in Ipoh nor Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur but a magnificent system in the state of Perak.

Gua Tempurong cave passage in about 1 km long and has an active river running along it. It was reported to be the hideout for the notorious communist courier, Lee Meng during the Emergency years. Exploration can be made via a walkway up to Gergasi Cavern. Further exploration to the other side of the hill is possible via the river. One must be prepared to wade in the waters, often stooping and crawling along certain passages.